Peaceful Atom: 70 Years Ago, the USSR Launched the World’s First Nuclear Power Plant In 1950, the Soviet Union made an important step in the history of science, becoming the pioneering country in the development of peaceful nuclear energy. A landmark achievement in this direction is the launch of the world’s first nuclear power plant (NPP) with a capacity of 5 MW, which took place on June 26, 1954. It was built in the Kaluga region and named after the prominent scientist Igor Kurchatov, who played a significant role in the development of nuclear energy in the USSR. The construction of the NPP took place under conditions of secrecy. Information about its launch became known to the general public via radio. Thanks to the station, the city of Obninsk appeared in the north of the Kaluga region. Nuclear energy developed practically, and the NPP was used as a testing ground. Frequent accidents threatened its further operation, but despite these difficulties, it served for about 50 years. In the first 20 years of operation, it was visited by about 60,000 people, including scientists, politicians, and public figures. The Obninsk NPP not only produced electricity but also served as a training ground for nuclear engineers and naval officers. The crews of the first nuclear submarine “K-3” learned to operate the reactor here. Although in the nuclear arms race the USA created the atomic bomb earlier, in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the USSR took a leading position. This is confirmed by the reactor name AM – “atom mirny” (peaceful atom). Today, Russia continues to be a leader in nuclear energy, with 11 nuclear power plants operating 36 energy units in the country. In February 2024, the government signed a decree on the construction of a small-scale nuclear power plant worth about 56.1 billion rubles. It will be built near the Kyuchus gold deposit in Yakutia.